Today commemorates the 90th anniversary of the 3rd Battle of Ypres, otherwise known as the Battle of Passchendaele, in Belgium in 1917. My grandfather fought here and you can read my post about him in my archives, dated 25th April.
The two main war cemeteries and memorials are those at Menin Gate above, in the Belgian town of Ypres,where the names of nearly 55,000 Allied soldiers whose graves are unknown are inscribed, and below the incredible moving and sobering Tyn Cot memorial. I visited Tyn Cot in 1985, on a beautiful summer's day, with the perfume of roses, planted at each of the headstones, filling the sweet air. On the panels of the wall of the memorial, are inscribed the names of 35,000 UK and Commonwealth soldiers who have no known grave.
If you're interested in knowing more, have a look at Passchaendale Remembered
or the Australian War Memorial
5 comments:
So many tombstones is so sad. I think wars are sad. Those who fight them and die in them are victims and I am sure all would trade places with those alive if they could or if people thought those in their war graves were heroes and wanted to trade places. I watched Clint Eastwood's movie, Letters from Iwo Jima and read the book and a related book about the Japanese General and his illustrated letters home to his wife.
Having been to Iwo Jima and up on Mt. Suribachi and having explored the caves, I saw lots of places I had been. It was a different kind of movie and many young men died there. So sad.
If you visited my blog yesterday and left a comment about our 52nd wedding anniversary, I wanted to say, "Thanks."
oldmanlincoln
I find it great that you pay homage to your grandfather!!!!!!
War is horrible.
Agree with Abe!
Flags of our Fathers and Letters of Iwo Jima are quite interesting movies on the subject...
There were some Portuguese fighting on WWI, but I've no information of any relative there.
Enjoy your weekend!
Nice tribute, caba. Nearly got to menin once and then misfortune befell me (long story)! Another day!
There is an excellent novel set during WWI called "Three Day Road;" it focuses on two Canadian Cree sent to fight, and features this battle. Strangely I had never heard of Passchendaele (except possibly in high school history) and then ended up reading this novel only a month or so before the anniversary.
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